The Candle Burns Down
by EndlessDots
Summary: London is far different from what Millicent Clarks expected. She came to fulfill her dreams of becoming an artist, but this wasn't exactly a city of color. That is, until she meets Sweeney Todd. They slowly become the candle in each other's darkness. But, as everyone knows, candles always burn down. SWEENEY TODD/OC! Rated M for scenes later on.
1. Chapter 1

**PART I**

The streets of London were almost bare, only a few dingy people stood on the edges of the sidewalks, huddled together to keep warm. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the rain beating upon the black streets, the same rain that was causing Millicent's hair to stick to her face as she struggled to walk on land. She had been at sea for so long.

Millicent finally got her balance on the wet cobblestones, and adjusted her yellow skirts around her. The bottom was already wet from the puddles in the streets. London was certainly different than she'd imagined in her daydreams. Instead of bustling buggies and street vendors selling various colorful items she'd never heard of, it was dark and stormy, almost an ominous city. She felt a bit uneasy, but she just shrugged it off as nerves. She had never been this far from home before.

The people of London stared at Millicent as she hurried down the wet streets, staying under building awnings to try and avoid the rain. She passed by one shop and tried to look in, but it was too dark inside. Instead she was met with her own appearance: a rain-drenched young woman in her early 20's. Millicent thought she looked a dreadful sight, so she used the opportunity to fix her appearance a bit. Her bright red hair was a stark contrast to the dark city of London, so she tried to fix it by smoothing it down a bit. She frowned at her reflection. Her hair never would flatten down the way she wanted it to. She decided to cover it with the dark green cloak tied around her neck.

Giving up, she turned on her heel and gasped as she ran straight into a beggar man. His shiny bald head, loose eye, and missing teeth were enough to set her on edge. She tried to skirt around him, but he grabbed her by the arm and she was face to face with him.

"Hello, missy," he said, and Millicent winced at his sour breath. He tugged on one of the curly pieces of her hair, and she swatted his hand away.

"Fiesty," he muttered, and then smirked. "They always say the redheads are feisty. That's the way I like 'em."

He started to reach for the buttons on her dress, but Millicent shrieked and pushed him to the ground with both hands. Startled, he lay for a second in the puddles, and Millicent backed up slowly. Once she saw he was down, she started to sprint down the street, her hood falling off her head, causing her flaming red hair to billow out behind her. She didn't look back.

The beggar man lay, shocked on the sidewalk, and then sat up.

"They say redheads are witches too! You'll be burned at the stake!" he called out to her, but she didn't look back. He didn't know if she heard him or not.

She did.

By the Millicent had to stop to catch her breath, she wasn't sure if it was tears or raindrops falling down her face. She hadn't expected the people of London to be so…well…full of shit. The men looked at her like they were thinking nasty thoughts, and the women gaped at her bright hair and colorful clothing like she was something to be afraid of. Not knowing where she was now, or what building she was leaning up against, Millicent wiped her eyes and looked up. The sky churned gray and black above a shop across the street. The awning read "Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies", although the shop itself looked like it hadn't been open in years.

Judging from the lights out in most of the shops, she figured it was night time. She had expected to find her host by this time, and now she didn't even know where she was. Millicent looked up again and saw that the sign across the road read "Fleet Street".

 _What an odd name._

Millicent wondered if there was anybody in town she could ask about her whereabouts to who wasn't violent or downright terrible. Then she noticed something that stood out in the dark shadow of London.

A candle burned in a room above the pie shop.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading the first chapter! I'll try to update 2-3 times a week. Please leave reviews, they mean a lot!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd.**

Millicent slowly crept up the wooden stairs that led to the room above the pie shop. She shivered in the cold, causing the stairs beneath her feet to creak. She finally made it to the top of the landing, and noticed a barber shop's pole stuck to the side of the building. A sign hanging on the doorknob read "Sweeney Todd's Barber Shop" and a smaller sign underneath that read "CLOSED" in red letters. She thought about turning back, but seeing the candle in the window meant Mr. Todd, whoever he was, wasn't asleep. Building up her courage, Millicent knocked on the front door.

No answer. She tried again, but this time she must have hit too hard, because the door swung right open. Millicent lightly pushed the door inward, and was met with a strange sight. A man stood cleaning a razor with a cloth in front of a window. The only two things in the entire room were a dresser and a strange looking barber's chair, lit by the silver moonlight streaming in from outside.

"Excuse me, sir," Millicent said in a soft voice, a bit intimidated by the lack of light.

The sound of her voice snapped the man out of his daze, and he looked up from the razor at her. Millicent took a sharp intake of breath at his appearance. A white streak was in his hair, and the moonlight made him look extremely pale. His eyes were sunken in and surrounded by dark circles, like he hadn't slept in weeks.

 _He looks like a ghost. Maybe he IS a ghost._

"Are you Mr. Todd, sir?" she asked, breathless from crying and running in the rain. Sweeney looked her up and down once, taking in her curly red hair that clung to her face, the redness around her eyes, and the suitcase she carried in one hand. He stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Yes, but the shop is closed," he said, turning away from her and going back to clean his razors. "And I do not cut womens' hair."

"Oh," she said, and then explained, "That's not why I'm here, sir. You see, I'm looking for a house but I got terribly lost in this rain. I saw a light on in your shop and I figured you could help me."

Sweeney turned around at this and eyed her curiously.

"What is it you need help with?" he asked, placing his razors on the dresser behind him.

"Well," Millicent began, trying to find the best way to tell the story. "I'm an artist, or at least I want to be, and I came to London to chase that dream. But London's not been very friendly to me." She raised her arms up and water dripped out of her sleeves.

"I'm supposed to be staying with my mother's old friend until I find an appropriate place to set up my studio, a Mister Judge Turpin. Do you happen to know him?" Millicent asked. Sweeney had been listening to her story up until now with a hard to read expression on his face, but at this name his face darkened.

"He's dead," he said shortly, and Millicent's face went white.

"Dead?" she croaked out, her head spinning.

 _What am I going to do? I can't afford to go back!_

Sweeney nodded, and gestured to the chair in front of him.

"Sit down. You look like you're about to faint."

Millicent sat down in the chair, holding her head in one hand. Sweeney moved to stand in front of her.

"What is your name, Miss?" he asked her, and she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, sir. You must think me terribly rude, coming in and bothering you at this hour and not even introducing myself," she said, and stuck out her hand. "I'm Millicent Butler."

He looked at her hand for a moment, but didn't shake it. Millicent put her hand back in her lap, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Where did you come from?" Sweeney asked, wanting to know who was sitting in his chair.

"A small town outside of Dublin," she said. Sweeney moved to look out of the window. He watched her reflection from there.

"I thought I placed your accent," he said, watching her wring water out of her red hair. She nodded, and then suddenly stood up.

"Yes, well," she said, picking up her suitcase and smiling a bit. "Thanks for telling me about Judge Turpin, Mr. Todd. I suppose I must go find some place to stay for the night while I think about what to do. Is there an inn around here that isn't too expensive?" She was unaware of his eyes on her from the window, watching her inch towards the door.

"Yes," he said in a low voice, and then turned around, taking a few steps towards her. He looked at her for a moment, and then finally sighed. "But you can't go wondering about the streets this late at night. You never know who could be out there. You can stay downstairs, in the old pie shop."

Her face lit up, and she smiled happily.

"Really? Thank you, Mr. Todd!" she looked up at his eyes.

"Yes," he said, looking back into hers. She looked away nervously, and started to pick up her suitcase from the floor.

"Don't," Sweeney said, taking it from her. "Let me."

He opened the door, and trailing along behind him, Millicent followed him out of the barber shop and down the stairs. It had stopped raining now. When they arrived in front of the pie shop, he took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and they both stepped inside.

Sweeney turned on a kerosene lamp near the door, and opened the curtains. Dust flew everywhere, and Millicent coughed once.

"It's not much," he said, picking up a few cracked plates and placing them in the sink. "But it will be fine for tonight. The rooms are that way." He pointed to a door at the back of the shop.

Millicent walked over to the table by the window and swiped a finger across the surface. It was covered in grime, but she smiled anyway.

"You've shown me much compassion," she smiled at him. "I'm forever grateful, Mr. Todd."

 _How can she smile in a place like this? If only she knew what went on here…but still….I haven't seen someone smile like that since…_

He gave her a small smirk back, and nodded.

"You have a lovely smile. You should smile more often," she complimented him, and his expression immediately changed, just as it had at the mention of Judge Turpin's name. In a few seconds he was in front of her, looming over her with his tall frame.

"Don't pretend you know me, girl," he growled, and she noticed his eyes were almost completely black. She swallowed.

"S-sorry, sir, I didn't mean to offend you. It was only a compliment," she apologized quickly, seeing the angry look on his face.

"Well don't do that again," he said, and Millicent put her head down. Sweeney watched her make her way over to the door that led to the bedrooms. Her pale yellow dress was definitely a change of scenery compared to the darkness of the shop. Her curly hair framed her face, even if it did stick up a bit on the top. Sweeney decided she was pretty.

Frowning at his thoughts, he moved to follow her. She stood in the doorway to the bedrooms.

"Thank you, Mr. Todd," she said, and risked a smile again.

When he saw her smile, he had the sudden urge to return it, but suppressed it.

"Well I'll leave you now," he said, and turned around to leave. "Goodnight."

Millicent closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for so many views over the past few days! Please continue to leave reviews, critiques, and suggestions! I love hearing from you!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd.**

Millicent woke up at the first ray of sunrise. At first, she couldn't recall where she was. She sat up in bed in a panic, scanning the dark wallpaper and old nightstand for some familiarity. Then her eyes scanned her suitcase propped up on the edge of her bed, and everything came flooding back to her.

 _Sweeney Todd._

Still bewildered by the amount of kindness he had shown her, she planned how to repay him as she got out of bed. Then, the idea hit her.

She supposed she had to find something to wear. Her dress from the night before was still soaking wet. Millicent made her way over to the dresser, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. Mothballs flew out as she opened the towering black dresser. She frowned as she inspected the clothing that was inside. Everything was dark and drab. All of the dresses had holes. She finally settled on a dark green and black striped dress.

Millicent walked into the pie shop, now clad in a very ugly dress, and was surprised to see that it had stopped raining completely. London looked completely different in the daytime. Sunlight streamed in from the windows so that she could see the dust particles floating around in the air above the tables. Everything looked much happier. The place really did need a good cleaning, however.

 _Fixing this place up a bit might help repay Sweeney back!_

She put her hair up with a black ribbon (she frowned at this of course), and found a mop and bucket in a storage closet. She filled up the bucket with water from the sink and set to work on the floor. After a while, Millicent had the feeling someone was watching her. She looked up from her working and wiped her forehead.

A young man in a top hat crossing in front of the shop smiled at her through the window. She gave him a wave and a small smile back.

Surprisingly, he walked right over to the front door and knocked.

"Hello?" his voice sounded muffled behind the glass. Millicent quickly figured out how to undo the chain lock and wondered how Sweeney had locked the door from the inside before he left.

"Hello," Millicent said, smiling sweetly and opening the door for the gentleman. He removed his hat and nodded his head at her politely.

"Sorry to bother you, Miss," he said. His words were laced with a thick English accent. "But are you the new owner of the shop?"

She exhaled a giggle through her mouth.

"Oh, no," she began. "Mr. Todd just let me take refuge from the rain in here last night."

"Ah,"said the man, and smiled a thin-lipped smile. He turned to go, and then stopped in his tracks.

"Did you paint those, Miss?" he asked, staring at her artwork with an open-mouth. During her cleaning, Millicent had hung up some of her paintings of flowers on the walls to brighten up the shop a bit.

"Yes, sir," Millicent replied, and the man shook his head and whistled.

"I'd sure pay a pretty penny for one of those," he mused. "How much for that one over there?" He pointed to a painting of red roses.

"Oh, they're not for sale," she said, though inside she was secretly excited someone was so genuinely interested in buying her art.

The man unbuttoned a pocket on his coat and produced a small sack of coins from inside.

"Are you sure they're not for sale?" he grinned, and Millicent's eyes widened at the sight of all of the money. She'd surely be able to pay back Sweeney Todd now. She took the sack from the man and shook his hand.

"Sold," Millicent grinned and the man moved to help her take down the painting from the wall. Once it was securely in the man's arms, he starting exiting the shop, but turned around to call back.

"You know, you should open up a business," he said. "People here don't really see this much talent often." He threw her a wink before walking off, and Millicent felt her face get hot.

Millicent shook her head and smiled, picking up her bucket and mop to start again, but heard someone call her name from upstairs.

"Millicent!" she recognized the growl.

"I'll be right up!" she called, and set to put away the cleaning supplies. She wiped her hands on her dress and brushed a few stray hairs behind her ears. When she walked upstairs, she was surprised to see the door standing wide open.

"Yes?" she asked in a soft voice, and noticed Sweeney was standing there with a plate in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said, thrusting the plate out in front of her. There was a runny fried egg on top, and a dingy fork. She smiled, but handed it back to him.

"Thank you, but I've already eaten," she said, and he stopped mid-sip in his cup of tea.

"How?" he asked, and gestured for her to sit down in the barber chair. She did so, folding her hands neatly in her lap. It was then he noticed the awful dress she was wearing.

"And where did you get _that_?" he wrinkled his nose in disgust, and she laughed. The sound was unfamiliar to Sweeney's ears and he took a step backwards. Millicent tugged at one of the black lace sleeves of the dress.

"My dress from last night was still wet, and I didn't have room in my suitcase with all of my art supplies, to pack any extra clothing," Millicent explained, and Sweeney set his teacup down on its saucer.

"Art supplies?" he asked, curious.

"Yes," she smiled. "I'm an artist, remember?"

Sweeney just nodded at her, and placed the plate with the runny egg on his dresser. When he turned around, he was met with a sack bulging with coins. His eyebrows raised.

Before he could comment, Millicent blurted out,

"I'd like to rent the pie shop."

He stared at her curiously for a few moments before speaking.

"You would like to rent the pie shop?" he asked, surprised. She grinned.

"Yes," she said, and placed the sack of coins in his outstretched hand.

"Okay then, Miss Millicent, you can take the shop," he said, and turned around again. She refrained from squealing. She had waited her whole life for this dream, and now it was finally coming true.

"Rent is at the end of every month, no excuses. It is four pounds. Is that all right with you?" he asked, keeping his back to her.

"Yes," she said, then looked to his cup.

"Are you not going to have any breakfast?" she asked him, and he took a sip of his tea. "I can make you some if you like."

"Um..no…you don't have to do that," he muttered.

"It's really no trouble. I'm not the best, but I can make good pastries," Millicent said, taking a step towards him.

Sweeney turned around quickly, and she took a step backwards. He had a glint in his eyes that she had never seen before, but there was a confused look to his face, like he was having an argument with himself. She gulped under his stare.

"I suppose that will be fine," he said in a low voice.

Millicent smiled again at him, and turned to go.

"One more thing," he called after her, "If you want to talk to me up here, you must knock first. Never just barge in unannounced. Is that clear?"

Millicent gulped again and nodded before exiting the barber shop.


End file.
